Don’t try to play the puck through a linesmen. It likely won’t end well. Winnipeg Jets defenseman Tobias Enstrom learned just that in Sunday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks. Enstrom was chasing down a loose puck with Chicago’s Patrick Sharp in pursuit. Rather than pass in front of linesman Don Henderson, Enstrom tried to poke the puck along the boards. His stick was caught behind the linesman, leaving the Jets’ blueliner to make a desperate attempt to play the puck with his glove. Despite his position along the wall, you have to feel bad for Henderson. He certainly wanted nothing...

Linesman Steve Barton had a rough weekend. He found himself on the receiving end of a high stick from Chris Kunitz during Saturday’s game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Arizona Coyotes. Barton left the ice with four minutes to go in the second. He did not return; the remainder of the game was covered by the three-man unit of referees Tim Peel and Francis Charron with linesman Pierre Racicot. Since NHL officials are tough and team doctors are miracle workers, Barton was back on the schedule for Sunday, staying in Pittsburgh to work the Penguins’ game against...

Washington Capitals defenseman Tom Wilson is the latest to jump in the pool. The blueliner is the most recent player to be fined for diving by the National Hockey League. Wilson was hit with the $2,000 charge for a dive taken against the Minnesota Wild on March 19. He was called for embellishment on the play by referees Chris Lee and Graham Skilliter. The diving call accompanied a minor penalty to Minnesota’s Zach Parise for roughing. He’d previously received a warning for a dive against the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 1. He was not penalized for embellishment during the...

National Hockey League referee Tim Peel has done this many times before. Tonight, though, it’ll be different. For 999 regular season games, Peel has pulled on the black-and-white stripes, laced up his skates, and taken the ice. When he drops the puck between the Canadiens and Jets tonight in Winnipeg, he’ll join a select group of NHL officials who’ve worked 1,000 games. Peel will be working his milestone game with referee Brad Watson and linesmen Brad Kovachik and Lonnie Cameron. Peel, a native of Hampton, New Brunswick, joined the NHL Officials Association in 1995. He suited up for his first National...

Long-time QMJHL referee Luc Lachapelle has passed away at age 61 after a battle with liver cancer, according to the Journal de Montreal. Lachappelle was an institution in stripes on the QMJHL ice. His 22-year career, from 1974-1999, encompassed a total of 936 games – 896 as a referee and 40 as a linesmen. He ranks third among all Q referees with 746 regular season games worked, behind only Nic Dutil and Eric Charron, both of whom are still in the league. “He was respected by all the players and all the teams,” said QMJHL Director of Officiating Richard Trottier. “He had...